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Top Healthy Fast Food Breakfast Choices

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, but should you skip it if there is nothing but fast food joints on the horizon? Not so much. The good news is that Yahoo Food has done the dirty work for us and come up with the best fast food breakfast items at some of the most notorious fast food joints. You may be pleasantly surprised, so here are highlights on a few healthy fast food breakfast ideas:

McDonald's:

Fruit n' Yogurt Parfait with Granola: 160 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 1g fiber, 4g protein
Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad: 210 calories, 8g fat (1.5g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

Starbucks:

Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Feta, and Egg Wrap: (It's a little high in fat but compensates with lots of fiber and protein.) 240 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 7g fiber, 13g protein
A Skinny Latte and a package of SB's dried fruit and nut mix: Latte (12-oz. "tall"): 90 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 0g fiber, 0g protein, Fruit/nut packet: 150 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

There are more including choices from Jamba Juice and Dunkin' Donuts so read more.

Jamba Juice:

Any 16-oz. "Jamba Light" smoothie: 150-160 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 210-220mg sodium, 2-3g fiber, 6g protein
Any 16-oz. "All Fruit" smoothie: 200-220 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 5-20mg sodium, 4g fiber, 1-2g protein

Dunkin' Donuts: (Last resort only!)

Egg and Cheese English Muffin Sandwich: 280 calories, 9g fat (4.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 1010mg sodium (yikes - that's why it's your last resort), 1g fiber, 15g protein
4 Powdered Cake doughnut holes: 260 calories, 15g fat, 7g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 2g fiber, 3g protein

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Is McDonald's Launching a Dollar Breakfast Menu?

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:56 -0800

In this economy, even the savviest of fast food diners have a hard time stretching their dollar. But if the rumors are true, value-seekers may soon find it a lot easier to fill up for a buck early in the day. According to the Chicago Tribune and the Wall Street Journal, McDonald's plans to reveal a nationwide breakfast dollar menu.

Based on internal documents obtained by the two publications, the McDonald's breakfast dollar menu will begin a national advertising run in January 2010. Although McDonald's has declined to comment, the burger giant tested a breakfast menu with $1 items in August in its Chicago stores, offering items such as a sausage McMuffin, breakfast burritos, and hash browns.

The chain, which is also rolling out the Mac Snack Wrap nationwide in January, will face some stiff competition.

Burger King recently added the quarter-pound Double Cheeseburger to its menu through March, and Dunkin' Donuts just rolled out a temporary $0.99 menu in Chicago. If two leading newspapers are publishing stories on it, the alleged menu can't be too far from the truth. What would you hope to see on a $1 breakfast bonanza?

Which Breakfast Choice Is Better?

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:45 -0700

You just woke up and your belly is ready for some breakfast. With all the choices out there, do you know which ones meet your nutritional needs best? Take this quiz before you eat to find out.

Question 1 of 6

Which Bear Naked cereal offers more fiber?

Learn to Love: Persimmons

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:01 -0800

Now that berry season is long gone, I'm expanding my breakfast fruit horizons. Celebrate the cold weather with pomegranate seeds in your oatmeal, or slice pears or persimmons and serve them with nut butter on toast or whole-grain waffles.

You probably know how to pick and slice a pear, but persimmons have a steeper learning curve. They're worth learning to love, so read more.

Persimmons come in two varieties: hachiya, which are orange-red and shaped like acorns, and fuyu, which sort of look like yellow-orange tomatoes. The hachiyas are bitter and astringent when they're not ripe, but when ripened, they have a soft, jelly-like texture. Fuyu persimmons are a bit firmer like a pear when ripe and can be sliced up like apples.

This fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants and chock-full of vitamins. One persimmon packs 55 percent of your daily allowance of Vitamin A and 21 percent of your recommended Vitamin C, plus six grams of fiber. In addition to having persimmon for breakfast or a snack, you can slice them up and serve them in a pretty Fall salad.

Have you tried persimmons? Tell me how you like to eat them in the comments.

Yummy Links: From Vegetarianism to Breakfast

partysugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:15:51 -0700

This week's episode of Top Chef brought to light four myths about vegetarian cooking. - Jezebel
New York City's food bloggers are playing musical chairs. - Grub Street NY
Are these 10 items really the world's scariest foods? - Concierge
Still looking for a cocktail to serve on Halloween? Make full moon punch. - Chow
A roundup of November's Thanksgiving-themed magazines. - Eat Me Daily
Top Chef Masters season two has started filming, so Angelenos be on the lookout for competing chefs. - Eater
Cod with tarragon-anchovy breadcrumbs is a delicious dinner. - Serious Eats
Learn what people around the world are eating for breakfast. - Woman's Day

Burger King Launches Burger and Breakfast "Shots"

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:30:21 -0800

Burger King is continuing its strategy of adding petite-sized, lower-cost items to its menu at a time when food prices have soared but consumers are strapped for cash.

The fast food chain announced today that it will roll out new burger and breakfast "shots," or burgers in miniature sizes.

The sliders will come in a two-pack ($1.39) and a six-pack ($4.09) and will consist of a flame-broiled patty, ketchup, mustard, and two pickle slices, sandwiched between a plain bun. The fast food chain is also revving up its breakfast menu with BK Breakfast Shots. The breakfast sandwiches, which are available in a two-pack ($1.49) or a four-pack ($2.89) during the store's breakfast hours, contain egg, a "smoky cheese sauce," and a choice of ham, bacon, or a sausage patty.

This is probably another attempt by Burger King to offer smaller portions at higher prices, but I'm a sucker for all things mini, so I'm bound to buckle and buy some of the breakfast shots. What do you think of this addition to the menu?

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Dealing With Digestion After the Feast

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:50:40 -0800

Feeling a bit stuffed? It is a common problem on Thanksgiving and can lead to discomfort. Here are a few ways to aid your digestion and detox after your big meal.

After the meal:

Drink herbal tea: ginger tea, chamomile, and peppermint all improve digestion. Warm beverages promote digestion in general, so if you don't have these on hand, any kind of herbal tea will help.
Chewable papaya enzyme can help promote digestion as well.
Don't lie down for two to three hours after eating to avoid indigestion and acid reflux.

Learn how to help your digestive system tomorrow when you read more.

The next morning:

Eat oatmeal for breakfast. It is high in insoluble fiber, which helps get things moving, if you know what I mean.
Drink plenty of water to help the body digest and eliminate waste. Insoluble fiber needs water to help it do its magic.

The rest of the day:

Eat foods high in insoluble fiber at every meal, like carrot sticks with your turkey sandwich (made with whole wheat bread, of course).
Get moving. Exercise stimulates the intestines, and this will get things moving as well. A little sweating helps the body process and burn the extra calories you consumed. Plus a good workout helps eliminate any guilt you might be feeling about having second helpings of almost every dish.
Skip the alcohol for the day after, especially if you imbibed heavily on Thanksgiving. It will give your liver a break while it works to help break down all the fat from your prior day's meal.

Next Up at Starbucks: Value Meals

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:00:05 -0800

Feeling the sting from other chains such as McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, a desperate Starbucks announced last week that it will soon be introducing value meals of its own. The chain plans to launch value pairings in all its company-owned US stores on March 3. Although regular prices for food and drink items vary by store location, Starbucks claims the pairings will provide customers with an average savings of as much as $1.20. This strategy is the latest in a slew of tactics - from creating loyalty programs to ceasing brewing of decaf after noon - that the company has tried over the past year to recover from troubling sales numbers. To see the recession-friendly $3.95 breakfast pairings, which were revealed today, read more.

Tall latte and Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal
Tall latte and slice of reduced-fat cinnamon swirl cake
Tall drip coffee and new bacon sandwich with egg and gouda cheese
Tall drip coffee and new ham sandwich with egg and cheddar
Tall drip coffee and classic sausage, egg, and aged cheddar breakfast sandwich
Tall drip coffee and peppered bacon, egg, and aged cheddar breakfast sandwich
Tall drip coffee and Reduced-fat turkey bacon, cholesterol-free egg, and reduced-fat white cheddar breakfast sandwich

Considering the saga behind Starbucks' breakfast sandwiches, I'm interested in trying out the two new breakfast sandwich options come March.

Do you plan to utilize this new value pricing to your benefit? Do you think it will help the coffee chain turn its sales numbers around?

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Would You Eat This Taiwanese Fried Bread Sandwich?

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:00:28 -0700

Earlier this week, a new study found that different generations have distinct ideas of foods they consider to be comforting. The same goes for various cultures. In Taiwan, this fried-bread-on-fried-bread sandwich, known as sao bing you tiao, isn't just a popular breakfast item - it's also considered the ultimate in comfort food. You tiao (literally, "oil sticks" which resemble long, savory doughnuts) are sandwiched between sao bing, a flaky, sesame seed flatbread. Together, the two make a craveworthy, if greasy sandwich with a carb content that rivals Domino's Bread Bowl Pastas. In Taiwan, they're favored with a great, big warm bowl of Chinese soymilk. Would you try one?

Holiday Diet Tip: Don't Skip Breakfast Before a Big Dinner

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:00:54 -0800

Christmas is almost here, and many of you are gearing up for gifts, time with the fam, and that enormous Christmas dinner. It may seem like a great idea to forgo breakfast to save room for your decadent evening meal, but it's not a good strategy for a few reasons. Not only will you feel exhausted and too crabby to socialize, but avoiding breakfast will also slow down your metabolism. To compensate for the calories you didn't consume, your body will conserve them, so you'll actually end up burning fewer calories. If you skip your first meal, you'll be starving by the time dinner rolls around, so you could end up devouring way more calories than you otherwise would.

Research also shows that eating breakfast reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure. So do your body good by enjoying a hearty meal first thing in the morning. Choose foods that are high in protein, low in saturated fat, and full of fiber. Yogurt, high fiber cereal, oatmeal, and vegetable omelets are great choices.

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